Registration Hours

Opening Session: News 2.0: Leading and Succeeding in the New Journalism World
As consumers take command of their news options, newsrooms everywhere must transform the way they operate or risk being left behind. Join the leaders of this revolution in a strategic discussion of what we can learn from our audiences and what to expect as they become empowered with control. Learn how professional journalists can continue to be relevant voices in our markets and sustain a viable business. And discover ways that you can be that force of change inside your own organization, encouraging innovation now so we all will be relevant tomorrow.
Opening Session Guest Speaker: Eric Newton, vice president/journalism program, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Miami; Moderator: Miles O'Brien, chief technology correspondent, CNN, New York.
Panelists: Amanda Congdon, videoblogger, ABCNews, Los Angeles; Zadi Diaz, new media producer/principal, Smashface Productions, Beverly Hills, CA; Terry Heaton, senior vice president, Media 2.0, Audience Research & Development, Fort Worth, TX; Elizabeth Osder, senior director product, Yahoo! News, Culver City, CA; Michael Rosenblum, founder, vj movement, Rosenblum Associates, Inc., New York; Producers: Lane Beauchamp, Chip Mahaney & RTNDF. Sponsor McCormick Tribune Foundation

INCOMING! Advice for the Newly Named News Director
Whether you’ve moved to a new station, been promoted from within or just started your first news director job, this session will offer advice and guidance you can use today. Hear from others news directors and station group executives about what they wish they had known when they took that news director job. We will cover getting to know the boss, staff, newsroom culture, newsroom systems and the community. We will talk about when and how to make changes so you succeed in your new position.
Moderator: Deborah Potter, executive director, NewsLab, Washington. Panelists: Rob Mennie, senior vice president, Gannett Broadcasting, McLean, VA; Brad Remington, vice president/news director, KDVR-TV, Denver; Lori Waldon, news director, WISN-TV, Milwaukee. Producer: RTNDF. Sponsor: McCormick Tribune Foundation

Keeping it Legal Online and On Air
Navigate the murky waters of online and on-air legal rights as a panel of experts helps you steer clear of trouble. Learn more about indecency, online video and audio rights, VNRs, online libel, closed captioning, corrections, localism and other legal pitfalls. Get your questions answered by a distinguished group of legal scholars.
Moderator: Kathleen A. Kirby, of counsel, Wiley Rein LLP, Washington. Panelists: David Fleming, general counsel, Gannett Broadcasting, McLean, VA; Charles Sennet, senior counsel, broadcasting & entertainment, Tribune Company, Chicago; Andy Siegel, assistant general counsel, CBS, New York; Producer: Lane Beauchamp

People Meter: Ratings by the Second and How to Prosper
What’s happening with Arbitron’s advance into the Personal People Meter era will impact not only radio but all broadcasts as the core systems for ratings measurement take a giant leap forward. How uncharted is this territory and what pitfall and opportunities await? How can you turn the biggest change in decades into strategy that means you prosper?
Moderator: Holland Cooke, news/talk specialist, McVay Media, Block Island, RI. Panelists: Steve Butler, director of news and programming, KYW-AM, Philadelphia; Gary Marince, vice president of programming services & development, Arbitron Inc., New York. Producer: Ed Esposito

Exhibitor Showcase Session Classroom: Turn Everyday Events Into Memorable Stories
Make visually dull stories like news conferences and speeches pop off the screen with pointers from The Poynter Institute and some of our other best thinkers. Poynter’s Al Tompkins and CBS News photojournalist Les Rose have taught thousands of journalists the secrets to powerful storytelling, even when there is almost nothing to shoot. Learn how to make the problem story work for you.
Facilitators: Les Rose, photographer, CBS News, Los Angeles; Al Tompkins, broadcast/online group leader, The Poynter Institute, St.Petersburg, FL. Producers: Donna Francavilla and David Louie

Demo Reels That Show the Real You!
What’s on your reel can make or break your chances of landing that new job or advancing your broadcasting career. What should be included in a typical demo reel? Should you send DVD, VHS, Beta, ¾ tape? How many stand-ups should be on a tape? Should I include any anchoring on my tape? We give students tips on building a better audio or video demo.
Panelists: Debbie Bush, news director, KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO; Mark Kraham, news director, WHAG-TV, Hagerstown, MD; Chris Manson, vice president of news, Nexstar Broadcasting, Irving, TX; Mike Stutz, director of digital news, News-Press and Gazette Broadcasting, Palm Desert, CA. Producers: Mike Stutz and Mark Kraham

The Next Generation of News Branding
Some innovative stations are casting off their tired old brand descriptions—investigative, breaking news, advocacy, convenience, or weather—to create more emotional brand appeal that breathes new life into news products. They tap into their communities in new ways that go beyond hackneyed slogan lines and expected news coverage. In this example packed session, you'll see news branding campaigns that are changing the way news is positioned. Come learn how to reinvent your news programming!
Facilitator: Graeme Newell, president, 602 Communications, Charlotte, NC. Producer: Mike Stutz

Prepare for HD Conversion
With the advance of high definition around the corner, what are the technical and financial challenges to setting up your HD newsroom? What should you budget for now and what technology is available and coming? What are the differences in storytelling and production in a 16:9 world? Start thinking strategically now and save yourself from costly mistakes going forward.
Moderator: Angie Kucharski, RTNDA chairwoman and vice president/station manager, WBZ-TV/WSBK-TV, Boston. Panelists: Mack McLaughlin, CEO/creative director, FX Group, Ocoee, FL; Dave Sirak, news operations manager, WFTV, Orlando, FL; Will Wright, general manager, VOOM HDNews, Woodbury, NY. Producer: Chip Mahaney

HD Radio: Are You Ready?
HD is billed as the most significant advancement in radio broadcasting in 50 years. HD radio technology enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally – a technological leap from the analog broadcasts of the past. No hiss, distortion or station drop off. But how does it impact my newsroom? Hear about the potential to multicast, converting one station to many, and possible job and creative opportunities for producers and journalists.
Moderator: Andrew Lindenauer, vice president of operations, CBS Radio Digital Media Group, New York. Panelists: John Hinnen, vice president and general manager, 680News/Rogers Radio News Programming, Toronto; Buzz Knight, vice president, program development, Greater Media, Boston; E. Glynn Walden, senior vice president, engineering, CBS Radio, New York. Producers: Andrew Lindenauer and Gerry Phelan

Global, National, Local: Connecting the Security Dots
How does global security impact national security? And how does this intersect with local communities and local security? National security has long been defined as how we protect our country against all manner of threats. But policymakers, on a bipartisan basis, are beginning to see how fostering greater global security (through economic development, trade, diplomacy, etc.) actually creates a better climate for effective national security. At the local level, this has implications for jobs, gas prices, immigration, military-spending, import-export, and more. Get insights from policymakers and national security experts on how you can best inform your audience on what global security means to them.
Moderator: Simon Marks, president and chief correspondent, Feature Story News, Washington. Panelist: Debbie Bush, news director, KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO; Larry Korb, senior fellow, Center for American Progress and senior adviser, Center for Defense Information, Washington. Jamie McIntyre, senior Pentagon correspondent, CNN, Washington; Producer and Sponsor: Keith Porter, The Stanley Foundation

New Media 101
Does your head spin when you hear things like RSS, news readers, SMS, tag clouds and social networks? How do you find and train a staff for your digital media products? What should you know about wireless? Sort through the clutter of buzzwords and find out what you need to know today to succeed, and what you’ll need to know for tomorrow to stay a step ahead of the competition. Understand the basics and learn from other news directors who have conquered the same learning curve.
Facilitators: Lane Beauchamp, managing editor, CBS Television Stations Digital Media Group, New York; Michael Gay, executive producer of digital media content, Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., Mendota Heights, MN; Tim Wieland, news director, KCNC-TV, Denver. Producer: Lane Beauchamp

Improve Your Performance Skills NOW
Get a wealth of advice without paying a fortune. This hands-on session gives you performance coaching on the spot. Team up with a coach, go through the motions for standup/live skills, then get on-the-spot critiques and improvements while the audience watches and contributes. Learn what people do and how they think, with an emphasis on making strong emotional connections.
Panalists: Tony Martinez, coach, The Coaching Company, Dallas; Barry Nash, partner, The Coaching Company, Dallas; Producer: Stacey Woelfel

Super Session: Get Your Audience Involved
Consumers today participate in media in ways traditional broadcasting never offered. They contribute to the creative process, interact with each other and have an insatiable desire to produce content themselves. Join our diverse panel of experts to explore great examples of user-generated content online and on-air, discuss technical obstacles, tap into the phenomena of social networks and understand the potential legal issues. Learn how to keep and grow your audience by evolving your relationship with them—from your old school “one-way” relationship into a truly interactive one.
Moderator: Jeff Jarvis, media blogger, BuzzMachine.com, New York; Panelist: Scott Bomboy, executive producer, user generated content, Internet Broadcasting, Philadelphia; Sandy Malcolm, executive producer, CNN.com video, Atlanta; Mike Sechrist, general manager, WKRN.com. Nashville, TN. Producer: Lane Beauchamp

Managing During Changing Times: Update Your Leadership Toolkit
Managing is tough enough. Find out which of your skills needs to be honed during times of change, and how to make it happen. A fun and interactive session – with a bonus! Come back at 2 pm for personal coaching in the Leadership Tune-Up Session.
Facilitator: Jill Geisler, leadership and management group leader, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL. Producer: RTNDF. Sponsor: McCormick Tribune Foundation

The New VJs: Are They Just Another Way to Say “One-Man Band” Or Are They the Future of News Gathering?
Several newsrooms are retooling their staffs to include videojournalists, sending them out by themselves to cover stories in their community. Is this the model for the future, to give you more content and a faster-turnaround on-air and on the web? Can you maintain the same level of quality? Meet news leaders who are seeing the future of the VJ, and hear what they’ve learned so far.
Moderator: Chip Mahaney, managing editor, KDFW-TV and myFOXdfw.com, Dallas. Panelists: Gary Brown, news director, KGTV, San Diego; Travis Fox, video producer, washingtonpost.com, Washington; Michael Rosenblum, founder of VJ Movement, Rosenblum Associates, New York. Producer: Chip Mahaney

Law and Order
Get an insider’s perspective on getting your camera in the courtroom. Learn the overall status of the debate and insight into courtroom procedures toward the goal of getting the story and getting it right.
Moderator: Moderator: Susan Filan, senior legal analyst, MSNBC, Secaucus, NJ. Panelists: Kevin Finch, news director, WISH-TV, Indianapolis; Jonathan Gradess, executive director, New York State Defenders Association, Albany, NY; Savannah Guthrie, dc correspondent, Court TV, Washington; Gary Hengstler, director, Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media, Reno, NV; Judge Donald Mosley, Clark County Courts, Las Vegas; Tim Sullivan, senior vice president, Court TV, New York; Kirk Varner, news director, WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT. Producer: Nancy Leung

Exhibitor Showcase Session Classroom: Make it Powerful: Getting, Keeping & Growing Your Radio Audience
Worried about job security? Your job is more secure if you can help build an audience! Learn powerful storytelling techniques to engage listeners with news and interview programs on your station based on the proven Creating Powerful Radio methods. There are no boring stories, only boring storytellers. Learn from one of the world’s leading broadcast consultants working with radio and TV news departments in the U.S. and in 27 other countries.
Facilitator: Valerie Geller, president, Geller Media International News-Talk Broadcast Consulting, New York. Producer: Gerry Phelan

50 Writing Tools in 50 Minutes
What’s in your writing toolbelt? Get energized and have fun learning new writing strategies for journalists working in any media platform. The authors of the new book, “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer,” share their tools with you—nuts and bolts, special effects, blueprints for stories and useful habits.
Facilitator: Roy Peter Clark, vice president and senior scholar, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL; Scott Libin, managing editor, Poynter Online, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL. Producers: Donna Francavilla and David Louie

How to Succeed at Managing Gen-Y
The differences between Generation Y employees and their more mature managers are profound and well-documented. The question: As a manager, how do you make the differences work for you instead of against you? In this session, newsroom performance specialist and The Coaching Company Partner Dennis Kendall shares keys to making your Gen-Y staffers powerful and productive members of your team. You’ll gain in-depth understanding of the needs and priorities this generation brings to the job, and practical tools you can use to manage them more effectively from the moment you get back to your newsroom.
Facilitator: Dennis Kendall, partner, The Coaching Company, Dallas.

Video News Releases: Usage and Regulation
Dozens of television stations are under fire by consumer advocacy groups and the FCC for failing to disclose the source of corporate video news releases, or VNRs. The FCC has launched an investigation into VNR use at numerous stations—despite protestations of broadcasters. Learn what’s at stake as a result of these investigations, what the industry is doing in terms of voluntary usage guidelines and how you can protect yourself and your station.
Moderator: Barbara Cochran, president, RTNDA/F, Washington. Participants: Kevin Foley, president, National Associateion of Broadcast Communicators and KEF Media Associates, Atlanta; Kathleen Kirby, counsel, Wiley Rein LLP, Washington; Ginny Underwood, executive director, Programs and Strategic Initiatives, United Methodist Communications, St. Louis, MO; Stacey Woelfel, news director, KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO.

Your Leadership Tune Up: One-On-One Coaching
RTNDF and Poynter’s Jill Geisler have trained a team of radio and television news managers to teach and coach other managers. In this first-of-its kind session, they’re all here to provide one-on-one advice on a range of leadership issues including difficult conversations, managing up, conducting feedback, recruiting and hiring and more! Just stop in, sign up and sit down for customized coaching. It’s all about YOU! (The coaching feedback signup is reserved for news managers.)
Leadership Coaches: Kevin Benz, news director, News 8 Austin, Austin, TX; Brian Bracco, vice president, News, Hearst-Argyle, Kansas City, MO; Marci Burdick, senior vice president, Broadcasting and Cable, Schurz Communications, South Bend, IN; Jill Geisler, head of the leadership and management group, Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL; Janice Gin, associate news director, KTVU-TV, Oakland, CA; Mark Ginther, assistant news director, WFAA-TV Dallas; Katherine Green, vice president/news director, WTTG-TV, Washington; Steve Hammel, vice president/general manager, KPHO-TV, Phoenix; Ken Jobe, news director, WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN; Jeff Kiernan, news director, WCCO-TV, Minneapolis; Karen Koutsky, VP of News, WGHP-TV, High Point, NC; Scott Libin, managing editor, Poynter Online, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL; Chip Mahaney, managing editor, KDFW-TV and myFOXdfw.com, Dallas; Harvey Nagler, vice president, CBS Radio News, New York; Jim Ogle, general manager, WIBW-TV, Topeka, KS; Andrea Parquet-Taylor, news director, WXYZ-TV, Detroit; Kenny Plotnik, vice president and news director, WABC-TV, New York; Chuck Samuels, general manager, WHAM-TV, Rochester, NY; Al Tompkins, group leader, broadcast and on-line, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL; Brian Trauring, news director, WTVG-TV, Toledo, OH; Lori Waldon, news director, WISN-TV, Milwaukee; Anzio Williams, news director, KCRA-TV, Sacramento; Producer: RTNDF. Sponsor: McCormick Tribune Foundation

“Redesign” Your Web Content with the Lost Remote Guys
Great web design is obviously important to the success of any website, but it’s only half the equation. Broadcasters have yet to truly focus on “redesigning” their web content. Too much emphasis has been put on redesigning new tools and the aesthetics of their websites. Content that works on air, more often than not, doesn’t work as well online or on mobile devices. The Lost Remote Guys will use examples from around the web to show which content works best, which creates the most desirable advertising opportunities, how to produce web content more efficiently, how to keep people on your site longer, and how to better integrate community-generated content into your newsgathering operation.
Facilitators: Cory Bergman, director of digital media, KING-TV, NorthWest Cable News, KONG-TV, Seattle; Steve Safran, senior vice- president, Media 2.0, AR&D, Boston; Stephen Warley, executive director, digital media, 602 Communications, Medford, MA. Producer: Lane Beauchamp

Honor Thy Contract
Bad contracts can cost you, but what’s in a typical broadcast talent contract? Many people signing their first contract with a station are not clear on what is typical and what’s unusual. Also, what are “legitimate” ways to end your contract? Should another station “encourage” people under contract to break or violate a contract? What are the possible repercussions? Help new people entering the industry to understand what should be included in a contract. Learn from legal professionals what should and should not be part of a standard contract.
Moderator: Mark Kraham, news director, WHAG-TV, Hagerstown, MD. Panelists: Rick Carr, attorney, Contracts, Inc., Centennial, CO; Dave Rose, news director, KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO; Bob Teaff, attorney, Thomas and Teaff, La Jolla, CA. Producers: Michael Stutz and Mark Kraham

Your New Job in the Digital World
Learn how to set staffing requirements for new media ventures. If you’re an employer, what skills are you looking for when hiring? If you’re an employee, what are you looking for and what skills should you have? New media professionals give advice on strategies for developing and fulfilling current and emerging skillsets.
Moderator: Dan Shelley, executive editor of digital media, WCBS-TV, New York. Panelists: Mark Danielson, executive news director, KTVB, Boise, ID; Sandy Malcolm, executive producer, CNN.com video, Atlanta. Producers: Denise Dowling and Jon Stepanek

7:30 am – noon

What Your GM Needs From You
This session will teach you tips for managing the boss. Do you know what the GM expects from you, how they prefer you communicate with them and what their revenue goals for the station are? Have you considered ways to manage up, support your GM’s vision and help make the boss look good to the newsroom? What are the things your boss does NOT want to be surprised about and what rises to their level of urgent and important? We will examine your role as a leader within the newsroom and the station and how to best support your boss.
Facilitator: Chuck Samuels, general manager, WHAM-TV, Rochester, NY. Producer: RTNDF. Sponsor: McCormick Tribune Foundation

Exhibitor Showcase Session Classroom: ENG by WiFi: Tips and Techniques for Sending News Video Over the Internet
This panel will review the latest gear, compression schemes, and techniques for sending news video from the field using internet connections. A laptop and a local Starbucks might be all you need. Attendees will learn how other stations are using wi-fi connections to feed back to their stations. While most news directors and reporters understand that the links are possible, they might not know the techniques that others are already using everyday. Find new ways to send cut stories and raw video back to the newsroom and potentially save money at the same time.
Panelists: Mansour Ansari, chief technology officer, iPixcel LLC, Oklahoma City; Haven Daley, video journalist, AP Television, San Francisco; Derrick Hinds, news director, KBJR-TV, Duluth, MN. Producers: David Louie and Chip Mahaney

Go Ahead. You Can Touch It
Explore the latest in radio technology by attending this hands-on session. Have a mobile newsroom on a tight budget by learning what is being used now in the field by radio news reporters—flash recorders, mini discs, world telephones and more.
Moderator: Randy Bell, news director, WMSI-FM, Jackson, MS. Panelists: Bill Drummond, professor, UC Berkley Graduate School of Journalism, Berkley, CA; Tyler Moody, senior producer, CNN Radio, Atlanta; Alex Stone, correspondent, ABC News Radio, Los Angeles, CA. Producer: Randy Bell

The Best Interview I Ever Had
Learn how to land the interview and get what you want out of it. Industry pros give advice on the best questions, how to act and what to say. Go home with the skills to get more news value out of your interviews and improve the quality of your reporting.
Moderator: Jim Hickey, national correspondent, ABC News Radio, New York; Panelists: Heather Cohen, director of programming, GreenStone Media, New York; Steve Futterman, correspondent, CBS Radio, Los Angeles; Randall Pinkston, Correspondent, CBS News, New York. Producer: Donna Francavilla

Ethics Disconnect? Classroom vs. Newsroom Ethics
Educators are often accused of pushing “Big-J” ideals that set students up to fail when they encounter the realities of the newsroom. Engage in a lively discussion over whether teachers are placing unrealistic ideas in students’ heads that are out of synch with today’s reporting. Are newsrooms straying so far from journalistic ethics that students find themselves between a rock and a hard place?
Panelists: Kash Cashell, photojournalist, KLAS-TV, Las Vegas; Mike Conway, PH.D., assistant professor, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN; Edward Lawrence, reporter/anchor, KLAS-TV, Las Vegas; Patrick McCreery, news director, KPTV Fox 12, Beaverton, OR. Producers: Denise Dowling and Jon Stepanek

When the Going Gets Tough: Difficult Conversations
Stop avoiding that difficult conversation or the situation could get worse! Discover techniques to focus the discussion, accomplish your objectives and preserve the relationship. You will leave this session with tips for tackling tough newsroom conversations.
Facilitator: Mark Ginther, assistant news director, WFAA-TV, Dallas. Producer: RTNDF. Sponsor: McCormick Tribune Foundation

Report Global, Think Local: Giving Your Audience the World in Their Own Backyard
Terrorism, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, nuclear threats, chemical weapons, biological attacks and the bird flu; American audiences have a lot to think about. Local news on school boards, taxes and garbage pick-ups touch the day to day lives of listeners and always will. But, in today's world, issues, from Osama to insurgencies, are also local and interest your audience. Globalization is not just an economic or social concern, it is also part of the way we do news right here at home. To meet the demand, you can report global, while thinking (and selling) local. Why shouldn't world news have a local accent? It should. It can. It sells.
Moderator: Joe Howard, editor-in-chief, Radio Ink, Silver Spring, MD. Panelist: Tene’ Croom, director of news, American Urban Radio Networks, Pittsburgh; Wyatt Cox, host, American Sunrise Radio, Las Vegas; Bob Morrison, news and sports director, USA Radio Network, Dallas; Harvey Nagler, vice president, CBS Radio News, New York; Jerry Piasecki, reporter, United Nations Radio News Service, New York;

Improve Your Performance Skills NOW (Repeated)
Get a wealth of advice without paying a fortune. This hands-on session gives you performance coaching on the spot. Team up with a coach, go through the motions for standup/live skills, then get on-the-spot critiques and improvements while the audience watches and contributes. Learn what people do and how they think, with an emphasis on making strong emotional connections.
Producer: Stacey Woelfel

Coaching Talent In the Classroom and On The Job
Professors are the first talent coaches young journalists meet, but do they know how to coach them to greatness? Talent coaches from major consulting firms would teach news managers and professors how to coach students who may be appearing on camera for the first time. Learn how to give young talent a leg up on their careers.
Moderator: Denise Dowling, assistant professor, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT. Panelists: Terry Anzur, journalist and educator, Los Angeles; Butler Cain, news director, Alabama Public Radio, Tuscaloosa, AL; Kate Loor, vice president, North American Coaching Services, Frank N. Magid Associates, Charlotte, NC; Jeff Puffer, senior communications consultant, Frank N. Magid Associates, Marion IA. Producers: Denise Dowling and Gerry Phelan